Bishop/Archbishop assignments today in Baltimore and Kansas City

 

Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Bruce Lewandowski as Bishop of Providence

Pope Francis has appointed Most Reverend Bruce A. Lewandowski, CSsR, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as Bishop of Providence.

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has appointed Most Reverend Bruce A. Lewandowski, CSsR, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as Bishop of Providence. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on April 8, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Diocese of Providence is comprised of 1,085 square miles in the State of Rhode Island and has a total population of 1,097,379, of which 598,990, are Catholic.

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas; Appoints Bishop W. Shawn McKnight as Successor

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and has appointed Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, as his successor.

Kansas Priest senselessly murdered in Kansas

 

Portrait of Father Raj "Arul" Carasala, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, Kansas, who was fatally shot in his rectory April 3, 2025. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, who traveled to Seneca to console the community and celebrate a Mass, called the attack a "senseless act of violence" and mourned the loss of a "beloved priest, leader and friend." (OSV News photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Kansas City)

Kansas pastor fatally shot in his rectory

(OSV News) — The pastor of a parish in Seneca, Kansas, was shot in his rectory and later died of his injuries at a local hospital April 3.

In a message shared on social media, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas said he was “heartbroken to share the tragic news” of the death of Father Raj “Arul” Carasala. “This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he said.

“Fr. Carasala was a devoted and zealous pastor who faithfully served our Archdiocese for over twenty years, including as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region,” he continued. “His love for Christ and His Church was evident in how he ministered to his people with great generosity and care. His parishioners, friends, and brother priests will deeply miss him.”

By late afternoon April 3, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced an arrest had been made in connection to the shooting death of Father Arul, 57. Gary L. Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested and booked into the Nemaha County Jail for first-degree murder.

Archbishop Naumann calls Father Carasala’s death ‘ a senseless tragedy’

A message from the diocese’s vicar general shared by the parish’s social media said Archbishop Naumann had gone to Seneca to console and pray with Sts. Peter and Paul parishioners and area priests.

The Knights of Columbus led the rosary at 6 p.m. April 3, followed by a 7:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann. A cantor sang “Be Still My Soul” a cappella as mourners filled the church.

In his opening remarks, Archbishop Naumann again called Father Carasala’s death a “senseless tragedy.”

“Father Arul spent his life making this Blessed Sacrament available to us, and so I think this would please him to see this church full tonight and drawing ourselves into the presence of the Risen Lord,” the archbishop said.

Father Carasala originally from India and served in Kansas since 2004

Father Carasala had served since 2011 as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, a town with a population around 2,100 about 115 miles northwest of Kansas City. According to a biography on the parish’s website, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cuddapah in southeast India in 1994 and began ministering in Kansas in 2004, where he served at several parishes before his last assignment. He became an American citizen in 2011.

“In this time of sorrow, let us entrust Fr. Carasala to the mercy of God and lift up in prayer his family in Cuddapah, India, his parish community at Saints Peter and Paul in Seneca, and all who mourn his passing. Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart,” Archbishop Naumann said in his social media statement.

“There is no ongoing threat to the community, but I recognize the pain and shock that such an event brings. In moments like these, we turn to our Lord, who is close to the brokenhearted,” he continued. “As we grieve, may we find strength in our faith and in the hope of Christ’s Resurrection.”

The incorrupt body of Sister Wilhelmina confirmed by medical exam

 

Results of medical exam build case for ‘incorrupt’ body of Sister Wilhelmina, says bishop

The body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, lies in the basement of the church of the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus outside Gower, Missouri, on May 28, 2023. | Joe Bukuras/CNA

By Tyler Arnold

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 22, 2024 / 18:03 pm

The results of a medical examination of the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, have confirmed that there were no signs of decomposition when her body was exhumed last year, according to a statement from Bishop James Johnston of the Missouri Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

The study, conducted by medical experts, and commissioned by the bishop, helps build the case that the body of the deceased Benedictine nun could be incorrupt.

Sister Wilhelmina — who founded the traditionalist Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles order in Gower, Missouri — died on May 29, 2019. However, when her body was exhumed on April 28, 2023, to be moved for interment in the abbey church, the sisters did not find a skeleton. Instead, they found a well-preserved body that maintained the recognizable features of their former prioress.

Thousands of pilgrims flocked to the rural town to see the potential miracle.

The final report on the examination, which the diocese announced on Aug. 22, 2024, found a lack of any detected features of decomposition usually seen under the conditions of her interment. 

Sister Wilhelmina’s body was not embalmed and did not receive any other treatments prior to her burial. She was buried in an unsealed wooden casket. Although the casket had deteriorated, her body was not decomposed and her habit and clothing showed no features of breakdown. It further found that the conditions of her death and burial would not be expected to protect against decomposition.

The medical examiners also interviewed eyewitnesses to the burial and the exhumation, along with their study of the casket and the sister’s body. 

According to the bishop, the medical team was only able to conduct “a limited examination.” The diocese did not announce whether there would be any further evaluations of the body or any other actions taken.

Johnston added that there is no official Catholic Church protocol for determining whether a body is incorrupt and noted that “incorruptibility is not considered to be an indication of sainthood.” At this time, he said, there are no plans in the diocese to initiate a cause for sainthood. 

“The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions,” the bishop continued. “I pray that Sister Wilhelmina’s story continues to open hearts to love for Our Lord and Our Lady.”

Sister Wilhelmina entered the Oblate Sisters of Providence shortly after graduating valedictorian of her high school. Following the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the sister made an effort to preserve the traditions of the Catholic Church, particularly the wearing of a habit. 

When Sister Wilhelmina could not convince the order to return to the habit, she founded a new order with the help of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter — a priestly society dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass. She founded the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles when she was 70 years old, initially in Pennsylvania before relocating to Missouri. 

The order took on a contemplative and Marian charism, with an emphasis on praying for priests. The sisters are devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass and use the 1962 Monastic Office, with its traditional Gregorian Chant, in Latin. The nuns also record chants and have reached the top of Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart several times.